Food For Thought

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Professional Communications

Many of our daily communications at work are verbal, but now with the myriad of electronic devices available, more and more communication is e-communication. But are we losing the professional courtesies employed with personal meetings and telephone calls? Are our texts and emails misunderstood by colleagues and clients? As a professional consultant, your verbal and written communications are a reflection of yourself and your employer and need to model your education and expertise. Here are some tips from Derren Thompson, Manager of Diversity Recruiting for Sodexo.

• Use proper language: casual conversation and slang may be misconstrued as disrespectful so using the proper grammar keeps it clean.
• Respond to messages timely: rule of thumb is within 24 hours if possible, to return phone calls or emails, or at least a message in that time frame that you are working on it.
• Follow up on requests: this will build trust and team spirit. If nursing asks for a consult urgently, let them know you have done it.
• Listen actively: pay attention to who is conversing with you and stay focused without reading email, texts, or a chart while the conversation is going on.
• Make eye contact: this lets people know that you are actively listening and respecting their time.
• Pick up the phone: calling and speaking to someone directly can help eliminate misunderstandings, communicate clearly and build relationships. If you have important issues on your RD report card to discuss and the Administrator is not available, call and discuss the issues and email the report as a follow up.
• Use proper sentences in your emails: text typing in emails is difficult to understand and doesn't look professional.
• Keep communications on topic: co-workers and colleagues at the health care communities are all busy too, so keeping the conversations on topic will respect everyone's time.
• Shake hands: greeting or meeting with a hand shake implies confidence and sets a good impression.
• Be polite: hold the door open, give up your chair at the nursing station, deliver the snack to the resident who tells you they're hungry, and smile! You never know who may cross your path again.